Cast out of Destard - The Tale of Warped Dragon
by Warped Dragon
Summary: I'm only uploading this at the recamendation of a friend, i wrote it for a diffrent fanfic site, one better suited to its theme. Rate it, Hate it, your opinions don't matter to me....
1. Prologue

1 ??????-???????????? -  
  
2 ?????????????????????????  
  
Prologue:  
  
Many years ago, during the First Age of Darkness, Destard was inhabited by Wild Dragons, Evil ones. When I was hatched, I was like any other Dragon of the time. Cruel and Arrogant. But I changed as time passed. The ages rolled by. The First Age of Darkness ended, as did the Second Age of Darkness, and the Third. At the beginning of the next age, the First Age of Enlightenment, a human king known as British united Sosaria under the name of Britannia, and created the Eight Virtues of the Avatar. About then, I started to change. I did not kill for the sake of killing. I was not cruel, or evil. I was good, and compassionate. I followed Virtue. This caused the other Dragons to fear me, for I was a powerful Mage, one of the strongest of the time. They shunned me, and called me "Warped". I know not my real name now, so dim is the memory. Nor do I care. I embraced the name they gave me, which scared them all the more. More ages passed. The First Age of Enlightenment ended, as did the Second. Near the middle of the Third, the rest of the weyr decided to get rid of me. The Council of Elders decreed that I was a traitor, and was to be apprehended and brought before them. This was accomplished while I slept, for only by surprise could they capture me. I fought, with Tooth, Claw, and Magic, but I was overwhelmed and chained. The brought me before the council, to hear my sentence. Banishment. Not from Destard, nor Britannia, but from the very Dimension. By pooling their magic, they managed to raise a Black Moongate, just big enough for a Dragon. They threw me in, not caring where I arrived. I cursed them with my last breath of Britannian Air, Damning them to the lowest level of the Great Abyss. This, then, is my story. 


	2. Chapter The First - The Realm of Asgard

Chapter the First  
  
The Realm of Asgard  
  
"Ohhhhhh my Head." I groaned as I sat up. Where was I? More importantly, why was I in Human Form!? "Shards!?" I screamed. My Magic was gone! I could do NO Magic. "There'll be hell to pay when I get back." I muttered as I got up and dusted myself off. Must have been one last act of my Brethren, locking me in human form and blocking my magic. I heard a noise, and looked around at my surroundings. I was in a town. A human town. People were staring at me. I stared back. These were not Britannian People. Their clothing was strange.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, but what happened to you?" inquired one of the braver townsfolk.  
  
"I was hit by a falling star, you moron" I replied with sarcasm. They looked fearful of me. They probably believed it. "I just came through a Black Gate." Their faces were blank. "A teleportation device" I elaborated.  
  
"Ah." They murmured as one. Another peasant stepped forward. "Look here now, stranger, what is your name, and what is your business here? We don't take kindly to strangers round here"  
  
"My Name is Warped, and my business is just that. MINE!" I replied with annoyance. "Where does your ruler dwell?" I asked, managing a bit more politeness.  
  
"In yonder Castle" He replied, pointing to a large castle outside of town.  
  
"Thank you" I answered. I took off at a run, leaped.... And fell flat on my face. My colorful curses couldn't be heard over the laughter of the crowd. DAMN this body! I thought fiercely. I got up and began walking towards the castle. A young child in the crowd began following me as the crowd dispersed. I turned and let out a low growl. She yelped and ran back. When I finally reached the castle, the Guards stopped me at the gate.  
  
"You cannot pass, peasant" One of them sneered.  
  
I looked him coolly in the face until he looked puzzled. Then I knocked him out. The other one had his sword half out of its scabbard before I knocked him out too. This body has horrible reflexes, I thought angrily as I walked through the courtyard, and into the throne room. On the throne sat a middle-aged man with a beard, holding a spear in his left hand.  
  
"Who art thou?" He inquired with curiosity.  
  
"I am Warped" I replied. I told him of my banishment, and my true nature. His face looked grave.  
  
"I am sorry, but there is none in this world who can help you. Not a mage living could raise the. what did you call it? Moongate? None could raise the Moongate you require. Only one of the mysterious being's known as GM's could do it. Until we find one, I grant you leave to stay here in the castle, and train with my court Mage. If you are what you say you are, mayhap you can teach him something as well."  
  
"Thank you" I said. He rang a bell, and told the servant that came to take me to a guestroom. When the door closed and I was alone, I collapsed on the bed and fell swiftly into sleep's dark maw.  
  
I awoke to the sunlight streaming through my window. I got up, stretched, and went looking for breakfast. I asked a passing servant were the kitchens were. He directed me to the proper door. I went through, and asked the cook for some breakfast. He was happy to help. I left with a full stomach. Lord Odin (as I learned was the name of the King), saw me and asked how I was. "Fine" I replied. "Where is your mage? I would like to meet him".  
  
"Down the hall, too the left" he said. "In the big lab. You can't miss it"  
  
"Thank you" I said as I went down the hall indicated. I entered the Lab and saw an old human in robes studying an ancient, dusty tome. "Hail" I greeted.  
  
"Hail and well met, Warped. Odin told me to expect you. What do you need of me?"  
  
"Teaching in the ways of Human Magic, and the location of a GM" I replied  
  
"In training I can help you, but locating a GM is not possible if they don't want to be found."  
  
"Then train me and I'll find one." I said.  
  
"Agreeable" He responded.  
  
Then began me training in Human Magic. Weeks I spent in learning its ways. It was complicated! Spellbooks, reagents, crystal balls, magic wands, all this to accomplish what I could have done with a wave and a few words using Dragon Magic. Nonetheless, I persevered, and soon outmatched my tutor. In return for his teaching, I taught him a bit of Dragon Magic, not that a human could ever use it. He recorded it happily in a book. I went to the throne room, where Lord Odin was pondering a matter of state.  
  
"Farewell, Lord Odin, for I go now to seek a GM, or a Dragon of the land."  
  
"Farewell, Warped. I wish you luck."  
  
I left the castle, and, using my human Magic took to the air. I flew north over mountains, rivers, and lakes. I landed on a plateau, for it had signs that dragons were there regularly. I camped there three days before a dragon appeared in the sky. He landed, looking at me.  
  
"Hail friend and Brethren!" I greeted him  
  
"Friend we shall see, but you are human, and no human can be brethren to a dragon" He replied  
  
"Ah, but I AM Dragon. I am from the far world of Britannia, once called Sosaria, the" I was cut off.  
  
"Sosaria! The hatching place of our kind, world of legend, it really exists?" He asked excitedly.  
  
"Indeed, It exists, friend, but most dragons are cruel and evil. There is one Weyr that is of good dragons, but alas! I was not hatched in it. I was banished from Destard, the ancestral home of our kind, because I was good, not evil. The locked me in this form, blocked my magic, and sent me through a Black Moongate. So now I am here, searching for a way back."  
  
"That is a sorry tale, and now that I am closer, I smell the scent of Dragon on you. If you ARE from Sosaria, you are of the Elder race, the one before all. You are greater than I, and I would be honored to serve you." He kneels, as well as a dragon can.  
  
"No, no friend. Get up!" He slowly rises. "Bow not to me, for I am a banished, and until I am back, I am no greater than you." I say. If you would like to accompany me on my quest home, I would be honored, but do not bow to me."  
  
"Very well. I would gladly accompany you on your quest to return to Sosaria. Where is it you go now in this world?" He inquires  
  
"I have had training in clumsy Human magic, but 'tis not enough. I seek a GM." I reply gravely  
  
"A GM! Hmmmmmmm. I think I know where one is. I would be honored to take you there." He offers his leg as a step onto his back.  
  
"Gladly do I accept your offer, for flying with human magic drains my mana all to swiftly!" I climb onto his back. "Fly, friend!' I cry. He leaps into the air. Many hours we fly, and below us pass the strange land. I learned from my friend, who is called K'vin, that this Realm is called "Asgard". When we arrive, there is nothing but desert as far as I can see. I dismount, and all of a sudden, a man on what looks like a Rabid Ostrich appears out of nowhere.  
  
"That's Him. That's a GM." K'vin whispers.  
  
I approach him and look him in the eye, not flinching.  
  
"Hail and well met!" I greet him.  
  
"Hail. And who might you be?" he responds with curiosity. "Not many people would risk approaching a GM."  
  
"I am Warped Dragon, from the world of Sosaria. I was banished here by my evil brethren, and I seek a way to return home. I was thrown through a Black Moongate, and I am told only a GM could raise one in this world." I reply  
  
"Well" he muses. "It would take more than one GM to do this, I must confer with my Brothers. I am RuneStar, Keeper of the Realm. Here" he tosses me a deed. "This is a house. You may live in it while we debate your plea." He then vanishes.  
  
"Well," I say, "that went well"  
  
"It did indeed, for you are still breathing" K'vin grins. "Not many people see a GM and live to tell about it."  
  
"How do I get a House out of this piece of paper?" I ask, changing the subject  
  
"It is a deed. You place it. It is a special magic the GM's created."  
  
"Where should I place it?" I ask  
  
"Wherever you please," K'vin replies. "Come. I know just the place."  
  
I climb on his back, and we took off. He took me to a valley in the mountains. I placed my house there, and there I dwelt. It was many weeks before the GMs decided. I spent my time talking with K'vin of dragons in Asgard, and practicing my Human Magic. One morning I came running out of my house, looking for K'vin. He was sleeping under a tree, the lazy oaf. I ran up panting. He cracked open an eyelid.  
  
"And what brings you here in such a hurry, Warped?" He inquires sleepily.  
  
"This" I say proudly, and begin casting a human spell. "VAS YLEM REL" I yell, scattering the reagents over my body, and making arcane gestures with my hands. Upon its completion, what K'vin saw jolted him fully awake and very surprised. Where I had stood as a Human, I now stood in my Dragon Form. My shining Jet Black Scales tinted with Scarlet and Gold gleamed in the sunlight. I struck a regal pose, back straight up, wings unfurled as far as they would go, head held high. The very image of a Dragon. Poor K'vin almost fainted.  
  
"Your...Your...Your in your Proper form!" He almost screamed. "The curse has worn off!"  
  
"No, friend. I have overcome it for a short time, using human magic. It will soon destroy my feeble spell, and I will revert to human form. But until then, I am myself!" I shout the last part, draw back my wings, and leap into the air. I fly around until I feel the spell wearing off, then I land just before turning back to human.  
  
K'vin is just staring, not moving. "You really ARE of the Elder Race. Only they would have the color you have! I am honored to be your friend," He says solemnly.  
  
"That's nice to know." I reply, amused. "Now, though, I think that I would like to destroy the curse forever!"  
  
"A worthy goal" agrees K'vin. "I must leave you for a short time, Warped. I must go inform my kin of you and your race. I will be back in about a week, for they will convene the council, and debate about whether or not to meet you. I will return when I can"  
  
"Fare thee well, K'vin. Walk in Virtue" I say sadly  
  
"Farewell, Warped. " He replies before he flies off. Now I am alone.  
  
I mined in those weeks I was by myself. I needed a way to let off my anger, so I conjured a rock-pick and beat on the nearby mountains with it. I collected the ore I gained, for I thought I might need it. One day out mining, a bright light appeared in the sky. Brighter than a star, it was rapidly growing bigger. It flew down, dropping like a rock, and went through the roof of my house. Of course I was not happy about this. In fact I was downright pissed. I went in through the door, ready to melt the rock, when I saw it wasn't a rock at all. It was a ship of some kind, fashioned of a metal I have not seen before or since. Out of the wreck stumbles a man. I decided to help him.  
  
"Who are you?" I asked him  
  
"I am Superman, and who are you?"  
  
"Warped Dragon, of Sosaria"  
  
"I am from Krypton. It was destroyed soon after I left. I was seeking Earth, but something went wrong and my ship crashed here."  
  
"Earth?! You were headed for Earth?" I am almost mad with joy. If he was headed for Earth, that means Sosaria cannot be far away!  
  
"I was. Now I am here, and stuck by the looks of it." He says with a sense of gloom.  
  
"You and me both, friend" I reply. "But I am waiting for someone who will maybe help me get back to Sosaria, and once there, I can send you to Earth."  
  
"Really? Very well then. I will travel with you, with your permission."  
  
"Granted."  
  
We helped each other out, He traveled to the towns selling my ore and ingots, while I stayed and mined. I couldn't go to town safely, for the people were mortally afraid of me, for my reputation, as an insane hermit mage had spread. Superman made the trips. Soon K'vin returned...  
  
  
  
"Warped! I have Good news for you!" K'vin yells from outside. Superman comes out of the house to see who is yelling for me.  
  
"WARPED! THERE IS A DRAGON OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE!!!!" Superman yells at me. I walk calmly out and step between Superman and K'vin  
  
"It's okay, he's a friend." I say calmingly.  
  
"He's a DRAGON!" replies Superman not so calmly.  
  
"So am I" I answer. "You don't see me eating people, why would he?"  
  
"You? Dragon? DRAGON? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME???" He yells  
  
"Never saw a point in it"  
  
I make introductions; Superman gets over his dragon problem. Turning to K'vin, I ask, "What's the good news?"  
  
"The Council of Elders wants to meet with you." He says.  
  
"Why that's great!" I say. "When?"  
  
"In 2 days time" He replies.  
  
"I await it with glee"  
  
The next day, we are visited by RuneStar.  
  
"Warped, the GM's have come to a decision." He tells me.  
  
"And what did they decide?" I ask  
  
"We," He waves his hand and 3 more GM's appear. "Have decided to negate your curse and magic block. We would send you home, but we know neither where this "Sosaria" is, nor which dimension. Therefore, we cannot send you back." He says with sadness.  
  
"'Tis okay," I say, "for I am to meet with the local Dragons and mayhap we can find a solution to this problem."  
  
"Perhaps. We wish them luck. And now, Warped Dragon, thou art free!"  
  
A blue glow springs into existence around each GM. Slowly it grows until they are connected by it. Then, a tendril of it reaches for me. As it grows closer it thickens. It touches me, and suddenly I am in Dragon form. The Curse and Magical Block, both are absorbed, contained, and destroyed by the magic of the GMs.  
  
"FREE!" I yell. Lighting crackles out of a clear sky. Thunder Rumbles. The sky clouds over and a storm is beginning. "Thank you," I say to the GMs "Thank you from the bottom of my Dragonic Heart."  
  
"Your welcome" They say as one, then vanish in a pillar of flame.  
  
The days pass in a blink of an eye. I am so happy to have my magic back, to have my form back. K'vin also is happy. We fly around each other, having contests. I am faster and stronger than he is. He attributes it to my being of the elder Race. I say it is because I was hatched of Wild Dragons. We happily argue about this for hours in the tongue of dragons. I feel sorry for Superman. On earth, he would be flying with us. Here, he is as ground bound as any human. I use my magic to make him able to fly. We three race around the valley all day, rejoicing in the joy of flight. Soon, the time comes for me to go before the council.  
  
"Warped. It is time," K'vin tells me. We fly to his Weyr, and all the dragons are awed by my color and size.  
  
"K'vin, why are they staring at me?" I whisper.  
  
"You are as big and as colorful as the Elder Race of Legend. They believe you have come to lead them back to our ancient home."  
  
"Mayhap I will, as soon as I find it!" I reply. Superman Laughs. The Dragons are also looking at him in wonder, for a human flying with ease is not a common sight.  
  
"Come, Warped. The Elders await" K'vin says to me. I go with him through arched stone doors.  
  
"Ah, K'vin!" Booms a great voice. "You have returned with thy Friend"  
  
"As I said I would, Elder" K'vin responds  
  
"We never doubted you." He replies. Turning to me, he says, "Welcome, Warped, to our Weyr. We have debated your case, and we agree to help you find a way back to Sosaria, so long as you bring us with you."  
  
"Agreed" I say.  
  
"I am T'dam," he says, "leader of the council and of this Weyr. Come, tell us your story."  
  
I relate my story to him and the council. After I am done, one of the council members rise.  
  
"How do we know he are what he says? How do we know he is from Sosaria of Legend, hatching place of our kind?" He demands with hostility.  
  
K'vin leaps to his feet. "How can you doubt? Look at him. He is bigger than any Dragon in Asgard. His color is that of the Elder Race, as described in the ancient writings. His mastery of Magic is beyond any mage living now, and his mind holds knowledge of Sosaria, as described in the ancient texts."  
  
T'dam stands. "K'vin, the points you raise are valid, but you must not speak out of turn, nor must you speak so to a member of the council." K'vin looks ashamed.  
  
"Cheer up, friend" you nudge him with your wing. "You did what you thought right. None can fault you for it"  
  
T'dam turns to the council member. "We have questioned him. His answers confirm what is written in the texts that only we have access to. His color and size are that of the Elder Race. He is who he says he is." He delivers his speech sternly. The offending member sits down quietly. "We have agreed to help him, now we must figure out how."  
  
I stand up. "When my kin sent me here, it took every mage in the Weyr working together to raise the Black gate. And they could only hold it for a few seconds. I think I have another solution." I point to Superman. "He was heading to a world near Sosaria, in the same dimension. He was going to Earth, when his ship was knocked off course and he crashed here. I cannot believe it is coincidence. We both know all Moongates can perform the functions of those under them. Red can cross land as well as worlds. Black can cross land, worlds and dimensions. It is possible that the Black Gate only sent me to another world, not Dimension."  
  
"It is possible" T'dam says. "But we have no knowledge of where it is. We cannot create a gate to there."  
  
"I know. But I have a solution" I say. "When I was cursed, I had to learn Human Magic. I have discovered a way to Mark places on runes, so that I may return to that spot by casting recall. Using Dragon magic, I think I could create a gate to the place from another world. So no matter where I end up if you create a gate, I can always return."  
  
"Thy Idea has merit. We shall do this. We shall create a red gate and send thee off. No matter where you end up, you can return here. When you find Sosaria, mark it and return here, that we may come to our ancient home." T'dam says.  
  
"I shall do this." I reply, and then and there I mark a rune.  
  
Preparations are made. In 3 days, we shall depart Asgard and go to another world. I know not where, but I will continue to search for Sosaria. The time passes quickly. As Superman and I prepare our belongings, T'dam asks me a question.  
  
"Is it alright if K'vin accompanies you on your journey? He has asked to go with you."  
  
"It is fine with me," I say.  
  
Later that day, the entire Weyr gathers to see us off. As the gate opens, K'vin, Superman, and I turn to face the crowd.  
  
"Farewell!" we cry, and turn and step through the Pulsing Red Moongate. 


	3. Chapter the Second - Krynn

Chapter the Second  
  
Krynn  
  
We arrive in a world strange to us. Three moons hang in the sky, Red, White, and one of Black so deep that I barely see it. We make camp near a pond. K'vin and I use our magic to change to human form, for we thought it wise to conceal our identities. Superman tries to fly without my magic to aid him. He falls on his face.  
  
"Nope, not Earth" he says good-naturedly.  
  
"What was your first clue?" I ask  
  
"I can't fly' He responds. "What was yours?"  
  
I point in the sky. "Three moons. Earth has one." I say. He peers at the sky.  
  
"I only see two," He says.  
  
"Trust me, there's three" I say. "The third is solid black. Look just down and to the left of the red one. You can see the outline."  
  
"If you say so." He agrees  
  
We sleep, setting no watch, for we thought it was not needed. We awoke to find our hands tied and strange lizard-men standing over us. Superman tries to get up, and one of the lizard-men knocks him down.  
  
"Hold still! Don't move!" he hisses us.  
  
"Who are you" K'vin asks.  
  
"I am a Draconian." He replies proudly. "Sergeant Gloth. Now shut up." He drives his point home with a club he has in his hand.  
  
I speak for the first time. "Release us and I may let you live" I tell him softly. He sneers  
  
"A puny Human threatening us! Ha! I think the patrol commander should see this." He turns and walks off to find his "Patrol Commander". Soon he returns with him. His leader speaks.  
  
"And what have we here? Three humans in lands held by the Dark Queen. Hmmm. Spies, perhaps?"  
  
"Tell him what you told me" Gloth says to me. I twist on the ground so I can see his commander.  
  
"Release us and I will let you live," I say in the same soft tone of voice.  
  
"And how would a puny human, tied up, kill me?" he asks with a sneer.  
  
"We are not humans. I am a Dragon" I reply  
  
"Ho! A Dragon! Pretty big claim! And I suppose that next you'll say you a Dragon of Takhisis? Or a cursed Wyrm of Paladine?"  
  
"I am neither. I am a Dragon of Sosaria, the World I seek." I say calmly, not having a clue who Takhisis or Paladine are.  
  
"There are no other Worlds. You speak lies."  
  
"Last chance," I say. He laughs. Suddenly I let out a load roar and shape-shift into my true form. Ropes are snapped and my chains are broken. I tower over them in my form. The leader lets out a yell, and instead of running, his Draconian's rush forward to attack.  
  
"K'vin! Help would be not unwanted!" I shout over my shoulder as I throw back the attackers.  
  
I here a snapping sound behind me, and suddenly K'vin is rushing past me, bowling over the first wave and whipping the next with his tail.  
  
"DUCK!" I yell. He ducks just as a wave of dragon fire streams over his head, burning the Draconians.  
  
I notice that when the Draconians Die, the bodies do strange things depending on the color. Silver ones look like dragons, Gold ones exploded. Bronze and Copper ones turned to stone. They were causing K'vin much pain as he bashed and clubbed them. "K'vin! Get outta the way!" He moves off to the side after breaking one last skull. I dash up to where he had been standing. Throwing back my head, I let out a horrible roar and flap up a gale with my wings. The Draconians can hardly keep their feet. With most of them knocked down, K'vin and I finish off the rest with our breath. Gloth and a few others manage to escape. When it is over, we shift back to Human form.  
  
"Over a hundred dead," K'vin remarks.  
  
"Child's play" I say.  
  
"Notice how some of them are now dragons?" He asks, "Why do you think that is."  
  
"I noticed too. Depending on the color, the bodies do different things. Some explode, some turn to stone, and some take on the shape of the killer, I guess."  
  
"Um, Guys?" Superman calls from across the clearing.  
  
"Ah yes. Sorry" I say as I walk over to untie him.  
  
"Well, now we have some Human Weapons, and armor for Superman" K'vin remarks.  
  
"Indeed we do, friend. Indeed we do." I say.  
  
We pick over the bodies, taking the armor and weapons we like. Superman chooses a Broadsword, and some chain mail armor. K'vin picks a spiked Mace and some light Scale mail armor. I choose a large two-handed sword and the Chain mail armor from the former leader of the band. It had a blue aurora to it. Possibly Magical. Properly equipped, we set off toward the road in the distance. As an after thought, I grabbed what look like coins from a sack near one of the dead. As we walked I inspected them.  
  
"Well, now. This is strange," I say.  
  
'What is strange?" asks K'vin  
  
"These coins. They are not gold, nor silver. I think they're Steel" I reply  
  
"Steel? Why would steel be used as money?" Inquires Superman  
  
"Must be the only thing Valuable around, I guess" I respond. I shove the coins in my pack. Some time later we reach the road. We turn onto it and keep walking.  
  
"We should get some horses," Superman pants. "This is too tiring"  
  
"Feet are good enough for honest folks like us," I say. K'vin nods his agreement. Superman Sighs. Night soon comes. We go off into the trees a ways and make camp.  
  
"We will take turns standing guard." I say. "No need to repeat what happened last time."  
  
"I agree." Superman and K'vin say at the same time.  
  
"I will take first watch. Then K'vin. Then Superman." I say. They nod their assent. As they settle down to sleep, I look up at the sky. The stars are strange to me. I get up and walk around a bit, reaching out with my magical senses. I sense many people in the distance, a town or city. A camp of Draconians is behind us on the road. In the mountains to the north, at the very limit of my senses, I feel strange beings. Like humans, but smaller. Underground. Dwarves, maybe? No matter. They matter not. I remembered my promise to T'dam, and cast the Spell to mark a rune.  
  
"Kal Por Ylem" I intone in the language of Magic. The air above my outstretched hand takes on a blue tinge and begins swirling round and round, finally coalescing into a rune in my hand.  
  
When my watch is up, I wake K'vin, unroll my bedroll, and am asleep before my head hits the balled up blanket serving as my pillow.  
  
When I awake, the Sun is just rising over the horizon. Superman is on watch. I sit up, stretch, and get up. Yawning, I ask Superman what's for breakfast.  
  
"Damned if I know. I'm just on watch" he replies sleepily.  
  
I start a small fire and begin making a breakfast of bacon fried in the coals, and cheese taken from the Draconians. K'vin wakes up smelling it.  
  
"Smells good," he says. We sit down to eat  
  
"I've been thinking," I say around a mouthful of cheese. "The Draconian talked about Dragons of Paladin and Takhisis. Leaders of Weyrs? Or possibly gods?"  
  
"You should have asked" K'vin tells me.  
  
"In any case, I think that from now on, you and I should walk in our true forms. It may serve to discourage bothersome people."  
  
"What about me?" Superman Inquires  
  
"One of us can give you a ride. Or, if you like, I can change your form to Dragon."  
  
"Yes! Change me to dragon!" He says eagerly  
  
"And that's all it would be. Form. You wouldn't have a Dragons strength, speed, or flight," I caution him. He still wants to be changed, so I do it. We set out along the road. We take a leisurely pace, and soon the other Draconians I detected earlier overcame us, passing on the other side of the road. The Leader, a large gold one, came over to speak to us.  
  
"You are a strange colors, for a dragons," He says to me. "Are you a Dragon of our Queen?"  
  
"Who is your queen, and who else has Dragons at their command?" I reply  
  
"You truly do know nothing. Takhisis her Dark Majesty, Ruler of all Ansolon, archenemy of Paladine, Cursed God of Good. You have not the colors of our Queen, yet you have not the Metallic colors of Paladine's Wyrms. Indeed, you have a bit of both. Are you really a Dragon at all?"  
  
"I am Warped, a Dragon of Sosaria. My friends are K'vin," K'vin dips his neck, "and Superman" Superman nods, "From The Realm of Asgard and Krypton. We are searching for the way back to our worlds, and are stuck here until we find one."  
  
"I am tempted not to believe you, but who knows what is possible? I shall report you to our commander at Nereka, and he to our Queen. She will know what to do with you. For now, Farewell. I am known as Kang, of the first Dragonarmy Engineering Regiment. Until we meet again" And with that, he walks to the head of the column, and they move off down the road.  
  
"Maybe she'll come down in person, and we can straighten this out" Superman remarks.  
  
"I hope not," I say in reply," If she does, she may decide she doesn't like the idea of Dragons neither hers nor Paladines, and destroy us. Not that I think she could." I add as an afterthought "I am more than a match for anything in Sosaria, I hardly think this world could host more deadly dangers than Sosaria has faced."  
  
"More Likely she will send some of her own dragons to destroy us." K'vin remarks. "I read his mind while he was talking to you, and learned a bit of this god business."  
  
"Pray, enlighten us" I say mock-humble  
  
"Takhisis and Paladine both have five colors of Dragons. Takhisis's are Red, White, Blue, Black and Green. Paladine's are Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, and Silver. Draconians were created magically from the eggs of Paladines Dragons. Paladine is the God of Good; Takhisis is God of Evil. Along with their brother, the god of Balance, they make up the three most powerful gods. There are others. Rerox, god of the Dwarves. Mishikal, a god of healing. A few others. Paladine, Takhisis, and the other also have offspring, one each. These are the gods of Magic. There is a war going on between the Followers of Paladine and Takhisis. Takhisis seems to be winning at the moment."  
  
'Whoa, that's more information than I need!" I say, "What did you do, read his whole mind?"  
  
"No, just the parts that looked interesting" He replies.  
  
"Well, in any case, now we know what's going on. Did you happen t learn anything of geography?" I ask  
  
"Indeed I did. The chief city of this world, which is known as Krynn, by the way, is Palenthese. They worship Paladine. Anyway, that is where most of the mages live, along with some librarian fellow, who is said to know everything possible." He answers.  
  
"Than we shall head for it" I declare decisively.  
  
As we are not disguising ourselves anymore, we decide to fly there. I turn Superman back to human, and he climbs on K'vin's Back. We take to the air, and fly many miles by day. K'vin's mental map of the land wasn't all that accurate, as the draconian hadn't been to this part of Krynn, but only seen it on a map I was sure was drawn by a one eyed Cyclops. We got lost frequently, finally finding our way by flying overhead along the roads, stopping only to read signs. We made it to the mountain pass, through which the city could be reached by foot. In the pass was the High Clerist's Tower, a famous fort of some sort. It was here that the two Red Dragons confronted us.  
  
"Incoming!" I screamed as I dove down and left. I had looked over my right shoulder, to check the where the sun was, and spotted two Red Dragons with Riders bearing down upon us. My Dragonic Collision Detection instincts kicked in, and I didn't even think about it when I started to evade. All Dragons are born with them. K'vin however, had Superman on his back, so couldn't maneuver as well.  
  
"Land! K'vin, Land!" I yelled at him. He came to rest on the ground beside me just as the Red's came within range of my fire. They landed a short way away, and approached cautiously.  
  
"Who are you that you challenge the power of an Elder Dragon?" I intone in a deep voice that rumbles like thunder.  
  
"We are the sons of her majesty the Dark Queen, here with our riders at the order of our Queen," answers the larger of the reds.  
  
"And what are your orders?" I inquire in the same deep voice that speaks of an earthquake ready to be unleashed.  
  
"To intercept you, and find out who and what you are, whom you serve, and whom you follow" He answers.  
  
"I am Warped Dragon, Ancient Wyrm of Sosaria. This is K'vin, Dragon of Asgard, and Superman, Last son of dead Krypton. We are Dragons, save Superman, who is Human. As to whom I serve, I serve no beast, be he Man, Dragon, or anything else under the sun, and I follow the Eight Virtues of the Avatar." I say in the Deep thunder voice. "Now what does your petty Queen want with us? I have little time to spare for squabbles among your so- called Gods," I tell him. The smaller of the reds rears up hissing  
  
"Speak respectfully of her majesty, who created our kind and gave us life." He hisses at me  
  
"And what of Paladine, who also created Dragons and gave life to them?" I ask. The larger red gives the smaller a look, and the smaller backs off. The Larger turns to me and answers my question  
  
"Paladine also is worthy of some respect for his part in creating our kind. But what manner of dragon are you, that you care not of the ones who made our kind?"  
  
"Paladine and Takhisis may have created Dragons in this world, but I am not from Krynn. I am from beyond this world, beyond even this Dimension, from the world of Sosaria. Go tell you queen that, and if she wishes to bother me further, she can come in person." I say. Turning, I leap into the air. K'vin follows, with Superman on his back. The reds stay on the ground for as long as I can see them. We landed again to rest and sleep, K'vin and I changing to Human. After a deep sleep, we awoke to a very different place than when we went to sleep. We in a huge desert, as far as my eyes could see there was a flat plain of sand. The sky above was endless blue, no clouds at all. We were alone. What's worse, we were all in human form.  
  
"Um, K'vin? Any ideas on this would be nice," I say to him as I examine our surroundings.  
  
"Only place I can think of like this is the Abyss," he says. I almost jump at the name. It brings a pain of homesickness, for I am reminded of the Great Stygian Abyss in Sosaria. "The abode of Takhisis, Dark Queen of Evil"  
  
'Those dragons must have done some fast flying to tell what we said." Superman says. "Warped, why did you have to insult her? I get the feeling it was a mistake"  
  
"INDEED IT WAS" booms a female voice so loud it makes an avalanche sound tiny. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, but using magic I quickly identified the source. Turning toward it, I reply without fear.  
  
"I beg to differ. There is nothing in this world that can destroy me. Hurt me, yes. Stop me, maybe. But never destroy." Having said that, I counter her shield of invisibility and suddenly in front of me is a woman in a black robe, twined 'round with a multi-colored five headed Dragon.  
  
Surprise is painted on her face, quickly replaced by anger. She raises her hands, and steps toward me.  
  
"K'vin, you and Superman get out of here. Hide. Just don't stick around." He nods, and suddenly Superman and K'vin vanish under an invisibility spell. I turn back to Takhisis.  
  
"A Dragon thinks he can challenge my power. Me, one of the creators of your kind! You will pay the price for your insolence" She says with truth in her voice.  
  
"Say what you will, you did not create my Kind. I am not an offspring of you or the other gods. I am a Dragon of Sosaria, the hatch-place of my kind, and thus am of the Elder race." I reply with equal truth.  
  
"We shall see what the power of an Elder Dragon is quite soon," she says. Then, white fire flies from her hand to surround me. I let out a roar of Pain. I try to shapeshift to my Dragon form, but find it blocked by her magic. I throw up a shield and her fire dies away. I destroy the block and shift to Dragon. Now I tower over her.  
  
"Indeed you shall know the power of an Elder Dragon, for this is war!" The final word ends in a deafening roar. I summon my magic to me, and put forth my will. The air begins to swirl, round and round. Sand mounds and begins to rise from the ground, forming an Earth Elemental. The whirlwind of air coalesces into the shape of an Air Elemental. I point at Takhisis and they move to attack.  
  
"Is that the best you can do?" She asks, waving a hand. The Air elemental drifts away. The Earth Elemental Crumbles back to sand.  
  
"No" I answer. I rear up on my hind legs and reach for the sky, intoning in a deep voice "Vas Corp Por ." Suddenly, in front of Takhisis, a. rift. opens in the air. Through it comes an Energy Vortex. It sounds an Erie yet chilling cry and moves to attack her. She waves her hand again, yet this time nothing happens. Blinking, she says something and the Vortex stops, yet after a moment it keeps on towards her. She raises a finger, pointing it at the vortex, and chants something in a loud, shrill voice. A Bolt of Lightning shoots out form her finger and hits the vortex. It slowly stops and begins to shrink. Soon it is gone.  
  
"Now my Turn! Elder Dragon of Sosaria, fight a Red Dragon of Takhisis!" She cries, and suddenly the larger of the Red dragons I met in the mountains appears. "Kill him" she says, pointing at me. With a roar the Red charges me to attack. With a louder roar I charge to meet him. We come together with a crash and boom. The dust rises, shielding us from sight. Loud cries and strange sounds come from within the cloud. When it finally settles, the Red Dragon is on the ground, knocked out cold, and I am standing over it, with a grim look on my face.  
  
"This fighting has no point, goddess" I say. "All I want is to find my home world. I have no quarrel with you or any of the gods here."  
  
"What you want doesn't matter. I plan to kill you, for a Dragon not made by the gods could convince our dragons not to obey us. You must DIE!" With the last word, the Red Dragon Vanishes, only to re-appear behind Takhisis, along with White, Blue, Black, and Green Dragons, all of them awake and ready to fight. "Kill him!" Takhisis screams, pointing at me. With roars, they charge as one.  
  
"Looks like magic is going to have to win me this one." I mutter. I raise my arms, balancing on my hind legs and tail, while chanting "In Ex Grav". A field of shimmering energy appears between the Dragons and I. They try to run through it, not knowing what it is. They become stuck in place the moment they touch it. "Paralyze field, boys. Rather effective, don't you think?" I ask as I prepare to cast my next spell. I make an Arcane gesture while saying "Vas Ort Grav", and out of the clear sky, multiple lightning bolts fly down to strike each dragon at least three times, and Takhisis once. She Screams in fury. To finish off the Dragons, I raise one arm, and chant "Kal Des Flam Ylem". Rocks fall from the sky, striking each dragon until it is unconscious.  
  
"You shall pay for hurting my children, and for hitting me," She says in a calm voice. She. ripples, and turns into the Five-Headed Dragon that was on her robe, each head a different color.  
  
"A glorified Hydra?" I say incurdlsely. "There's not a hydra spawned that can hold its own against a Dragon", and with that, I charge.  
  
Long was that fight, and tiring, for Takhisis had five heads with which to bite me, and I had but one, and she was larger than me by far. Finally, tired by the sheer length of the fight, I grew weary and tripped over her tail. With a snarl she lunged. That would have been the end of my flying days, for though she couldn't kill me, she could maim. Out of the blue, K'vin hurled like a cannon ball into her side, knocking her away from me. Superman, with his great broadsword, flew down to hover over one of her heads, doing his best to knock some sense into it. I take the extra moment to cast a quick Fatigue removing spell. As the spell takes effect and all weariness leaves my body, I hurtle into the center of the fray, cracking anything that comes into reach. Finally, Takhisis goes limp  
  
"I give up," she says in a strained voice. We all release her and step back a good distance, K'vin and I changing to Human, as does Takhisis. Suddenly, Paladine is standing near Takhisis.  
  
"I have watched your fight, and I see now that you are not Dragons of our world. We shall send you to a another world, we know not which it will be." He tells us. He waves his hand, and a shimmering gate appears, like yet unlike a Moongate. As we go to walk through it, he leans over and whispers to us  
  
"I never thought I'd see my sister say she gives up. Anyone who can overcome her deserves my respect, and you have it." He tells me. Right at the brink of entering the gate, Superman stops with a thoughtful expression on his face.  
  
"No offense you guys, but traveling with you is more than I bargained for. If it's all the same, I'd rather take my chances on my own." He says to K'vin and me. "Paladine, can you conjure me a Space Ship? For if Warped is right, and this is the same dimension as Earth, mayhaps I can find my own way there"  
  
"I can, and for the valor you have shown today, I shall give you the ability of flight, for good." He replies, waving his hand. "Although I know not what this 'Space Ship' is, the picture in your mind is not unlike a device the Gnomes of Mt. Nevermind have created. I shall send you to them"  
  
It was not until much later, long after I made it back to Sosaria, that I found out what became of Superman. All I will say now is that one should never trust ones life to a Gnomish Contraption.  
  
"Farwell, Paladine! Farewell, Takhisis," I say as I walk through the gate. As K'vin walks through, he turns and yells over his shoulder  
  
"Great fight Takhisis, lets do it again sometime" As he exited the gate on the other side, it shimmered and began to close, just before Takhisis can leap through and attempt to 'hurt' him. 


	4. Chapter the Third - Eä, The World that I...

Chapter the Third  
  
Eä, The World that Is (Arda - Middle Earth)  
  
A gate opened. The animals took little notice. It was not their concern. Out of the Gate came two creatures. They closely resembled the Dragons of Morgoth, yet also they were different. Their scales were colored and shaded much more brilliantly then any Wyrm of Melkor. First came the larger one, obviously the leader. His scales were jet black, tinted with shades of scarlet and gold. After him came another dragon, less brilliantly colored but still magnificent to behold. As he crossed out of the gate it quickly snapped shut into the ground.  
  
"Now where are we?" asked K'vin  
  
"A reasonable question," I replied, "why don't we get off this mountain and find out?"  
  
We started down the mountain pass; it was a long winding trail, not quite wide enough for me to walk in dragon form side by side with K'vin. We both changed to human so as to avoid falling off. The mountain range we found ourselves in was large. Many of the peaks were shrouded in mist and clouds. Snow covered much of the terrain. On the way down the trail, K'vin and I saw very little in the way of wildlife, only a few ravens that quickly disappeared in the distance. Around noon we reached the bottom of the pass.  
  
"Should we stop for lunch?" asked K'vin.  
  
"I don't see why not, we missed breakfast after all!" I replied as I surveyed the landscape.  
  
"In Mani Ylem" Intoned K'vin as he magically created our meal.  
  
An hour or so later after a hearty meal of eggs, bacon, and mutton, we were heading west, away from the mountains. I was in Dragonic Form, with K'vin riding upon my back. We had decided to take turns doing this so as to keep our strength up. We traveled until near sunset, and I found a nice clearing near the head of a deep valley.  
  
"K'vin are you awake?" I asked over my shoulder. "K'vin? K'VIN!" A long snore answered me. I gave my shoulders a shake, and K'vin woke with a start.  
  
"Huh? What?" K'vin muttered Drowsily  
  
"Wake up" I told him. "Time for supper"  
  
"Oh, are you cooking?" He asked  
  
"After that mutton you tried to kill me with? Of course I'm cooking" I answered  
  
We both change to human and go about the business of setting up camp. As we work I got the feeling we are being watched  
  
"K'vin, freeze" I told him quietly as I reached out with my magical Senses.  
  
"Elves!" I exclaim in surprise. "Its okay!" I called across the clearing. "We're friends!" A group of elves step from the concealment of the trees. All of them had bows drawn, arrows notched.  
  
"Know now, strangers, that you are nigh to the Valley of Rivendell. What manner of creatures are you, and who do you serve?" Asked the leader of the band of elves.  
  
"I am Warped, a Dragon of" the elf leader cut me off with a yell.  
  
"Dragon!? A cursed Wyrm of Morgoth dares draw nigh to Imladris? Elves, attack!" and with that, the elves loosed their arrows, in an attempt to turn K'vin and I into pincushions.  
  
"Here we go again."Muttered K'vin as I deflected the arrows with Magic and trapped the elves in a paralyze field.  
  
"You chaps really should wait for a fellow to finish speaking before overreacting," I informed them. "As I was saying, I am a Dragon of Sosaria, the world I seek, not a creature of this Morgoth fellow. I am not Evil, I do not serve Evil, and nor have I ever met anyone named Morgoth. Who are you? And whom do you serve?" I asked them  
  
"I am Glorfindel," replied the leader of the elven band "And I serve Elrond, Master of Imladris, called Rivendell in the mannish tongue"  
  
"Can you take us to meet this Elrond?" I inquired politely, as politely as I could holding them in a paralyze field.  
  
"Although I still have doubts about you, mayhaps Elrond can decide on this matter. I shall take you to Imladris" Glorfindel replied.  
  
"I thank you," I told him as I released them from the field. "Just let us gather our things." K'vin, who had been quietly observing the proceedings, had already gathered most of our meager belongings. Grabbing the last of them, we turned to follow Glorfindal into the Valley of Rivendell.  
  
The path down was marked with white stones, many of them hidden in the trees or under moss. We traveled for nearly an hour, at the quick pace set by the elves. We reached the valley floor, and the House of Elrond, a sprawling complex of rooms that would be more aptly named a mansion or even labyrinth. Entering through the main door, Glorfindel escorted us to Elrond himself, an elf with a noble air about him.  
  
"Master Elrond, I have brought the creatures who were detected at the edge of the valley. They claim to be Dragons, from another world, and asked to see you" Glorfindel said  
  
"I am Warped," I say as I step forward, "A Dragon of Sosaria, the world I seek. My friend here is K'vin, from the World of Asgard"  
  
"Dragons?" Elrond asks, half to himself, half to us. "A Dragon, yet claiming to be from another world, if such things are possible" He muses to himself  
  
"They claim they were not made by Morgoth, and that they do not serve Evil" Glorfindel tells him  
  
"It is true" I say "I have never before met anyone named Morgoth, and the Dragon Race I am a descendant of was not created by him"  
  
"Your words have the ring of truth," Elrond says, "I think you are who you say you are. I desire to speak with thee more"  
  
"May we have leave to stay here in your house? There are many things I want to talk to you about" I asked him.  
  
"You have my leave" Elrond replies. " I shall give you rooms, and you shall be my guests here"  
  
"I thank you" I incline my head.  
  
Elrond summons a servant, who leads us to our rooms. It is late, and as soon as I am alone in my room I collapse swiftly into sleep.  
  
Weeks we spent in the House of Elrond. Many long talks I had with him, of many things that we had interest in. After about a week of staying in Elrond's house, K'vin came to me with a question when I was in the Hall of Fire  
  
"Warped, have you marked a rune to this world yet?" He asked me  
  
"Nay, I have not" I replied  
  
"Could you please? And then, can you let me borrow it and the Asgard rune? I wish to go speak to my kin and report on our progress. Also, I miss my friends there" He admits to me  
  
"Of course, you are welcome to leave and return if you wish" I say as I mark a rune. "Here" I said as I handed it to him. "I shall also teach you the Recall spell, which you shall need to use the runes"  
  
Later that day, after saying goodbye to Elrond, K'vin leaves for Asgard. I spend my time with the Elves of Imladris. I learned they are great lovers of song and poetry. I sat with them in the room called The Hall of Fire, a gathering place where song and dance could to be found in great abundance. I heard many songs of that world there, tales of Beren and Luthien, tales from Beleriand, and Valinor. One day, the elves asked me if I knew any songs from my world.  
  
"I may know one or too" I replied to their question with a wink.  
  
"Pray, o master of lore, woulds't thou sing one to us?" They asked, mock dignified  
  
"Indeed, for the songs I have heard here, I shall be glad to sing one in repayment. "I answered them. "What sorts of interments do you have around here?" I asked  
  
They had, it turned out, all kinds, harps, pianos, lutes, drums, violins, trumpets, horns, and more. I selected a small harp and a lute  
  
"How will you play both? " they asked laughing "For you have but 2 hands!"  
  
My only answer was a small smile as I sat back into my chair, with the lute on my left side and harp the harp in my lap  
  
"I shall sing to you of a place on the World of Earth. Earth is not my world, but we have many travelers from there, and much of our world resembles earth. The Shrines of Virtue in my world were made in the image of this place on Earth, a place of great power. This place, "I tell them, "Is known as Stonehenge. A traveler wrote the song I will sing to you, a traveler from Earth, who made Sosaria his home. His name was Iolo, and he was the greatest bard in Sosoria when I left"  
  
I picked up the harp, and struck a few notes, to get the feel for it. To the great surprise of the elves, the lute rose from the ground, borne aloft on my magic, and began to play, as I plucked the harp in accompaniment.  
  
"This song, "I intoned, "Is called Stones!" and with that, I began to sing  
  
Long ago ran the sun on a folk who had a dream  
  
And the heart and the will and the power;  
  
They moved earth; They carved stone; moulded hill and channeled stream  
  
That we might stand on the wide plains of Wiltshire.  
  
Now men asked who they were, how they built and wonder why  
  
That they wrought standing stones of such size.  
  
What was done 'neath our shade? What was prayed 'neath our skies  
  
As we stood on the wyrd plains of Wiltshire.  
  
Oh what secrets we could tell if you'd listen and be still  
  
Rid the stink and the noise from our skirts.  
  
But you haven't got the clue and perhaps you never will.  
  
Mute we stand on the cold plains of Wiltshire.  
  
Still we loom in the mists as the ages roll away  
  
And we say of our folk, "They are here!"  
  
That they built us and they died and you'll not be knowing why  
  
Save we stand on the bare plains of Wiltshire.  
  
Silence followed after I finished singing, and the notes slowly died.  
  
"Well?" I asked them. "Did that satisfy your wish for a song?" But they never got the chance to answer. In a blaze of magic, K'vin appeared in the Hall of Fire, on the spot where I had marked the rune. He was wounded, ragged, in human form. He collapsed as soon as he arrived.  
  
"K'vin!" I leaped from my chair and was the first to reach him. "What has happened to you!?"  
  
"Daemon.. Another world. Invasion.. War.." He muttered before falling unconcious. Elrond was among the gathered elves. I had not noticed he was there during my song. He bent over K'vin for a moment, then looked up at me  
  
"I am a Master of Healing, yet I cannot save him. His wounds are too serious. I fear he shall die." He told me gravely.  
  
"The hell he will" I muttered as I wove my hands over his limp form. I summoned my magic, intoning in a low voice "In Vas Mani.. In Vas Mani.." Slowly the wounds healed themselves before Elrond's astonished eyes. K'vin, fully healed, wakes from his slumber, wide eyed with fear.  
  
"Warped! Asgard is nearly fallen! A daemon form another world invaded. All the human towns have fallen. My Weyr was overrun! Half of my kin are dead! All remaining dragons and humans are gathered in a fort on an island. I marked a rune there before coming here. The daemon is about to attack!" K'vin told me in a rushing torrent of words laced with fear.  
  
"Give me the rune," I asked him. He handed to rune over.  
  
"No, Warped" he mumbled "Do not go. Not even you can win this fight. Asgard is lost."  
  
"No daemon can beat me, no matter what hellish world he comes from. And I promised to lead your weyr back to Sosaria. I cannot do that if they are dead." I said to him, my anger building.  
  
"Warped, his army is huge! HUGE! You cannot fight it!"  
  
"Watch me. I've been itching for a good fight." I told him. Turning to Elrond, I make my farewells.  
  
"I promise to return, once I have dealt with this upstart. "I promised him.  
  
"I wish you luck in your fight," He told me as K'vin and I prepared to leave his house. "I shall keep all your belongings safe until you return, for return you shall. Your fate shall lead you many places, and not even my eyes can see them all. Farewell!"  
  
K'vin and I move away from his house, before I cast the Moongate spell. "Vas Ort Por" I intoned, the shimmering red gate rising up from the ground. "Come on K'vin, time to save the world" I chuckled. Then, with blinding speed, I shift to Dragon and charge through the gate.  
  
"No Warped! Wait! I marked it inside the fort near a wall.." K'vin yelled as he ran through after me.  
  
The Gate sank into the ground. 


	5. Chapter The First - The Realm of Asgard ...

Chapter the Fourth  
  
The Realm of Asgard - Tale 2  
  
Tides of Darkness  
  
A shimmering Red Moongate opens in the besieged fortress, rising from the ground like a wraith. No one notices at first, for everyone is on the walls, watching in despair as the daemon's army advances. One soldier notices the gate, and yells to his comrades. Soon many have turned and are looking at this strange thing. Lord Odin and T'dam glance up from a map just as I come rushing through. I come out of the gate to find myself facing a wall. With no time to stop, I leap, snapping my wings open to catch the air. I soar over the wall, my stomach barely clearing the heads of the defenders. My tail knocks a man off his feet. As I clear the wall, I see the astonished enemy army. It is as large as K'vin said. I land running at full tilt, straight toward it. Bellowing my war cry of "Sosaria and Virtue!", I crash into the nearest enemy unit. Thus began the Warped Battle, as it was later called by the Asgardians. Countless legions of orcs perished that day, like straws in a fire. Ogres, Trolls, Giants, none could stand before me. Suddenly behind me a Horn sounded, and the fort gates opened. Out charged what remained of the Asgardian Heavy Calvary, followed by the remaining foot solders. The Dragons of K'vin's Weyr, those still alive, flew over the wall, diving into the enemy and wrecking havoc. K'vin had followed me through the gate and explained what was happening. Lord Odin, T'dam, and K'vin fought their way to me.  
  
Not much of an army, I thought as I finished cracking two ogres heads together. I don't see why they didn't do this long before, I thought to myself as my friends reined in beside me.  
  
"Hail and well met, Warped! "Lord Odin cries.  
  
"Hail, Warped" T'dam greets me.  
  
"Hail, friends" I greet them, with a smile on my dragonic face. "Looks like your enemies army is on the run" I remarked, and indeed it was so. The Daemon's Army was in full flight, turning and running.  
  
"Then let us give chase!" Lord Odin yells.  
  
We Rallied our forces, The Asgardians under Lord Odin and the Dragons under T'dam. Once rallied, we charge after the retreating enemy. I far outrace the rest of our army, and am halfway between the two armies when the Daemon himself appeared, along with his personal guard. He was large, larger then the Balrons, the Elder Daemons, of Sosaria. His gaze burned like fire, and his very presence smote me like a blow. His army stopped in their retreat, more afraid of him then of me. I stopped dead in my tracks, sliding a few feet. For this was no Daemon, whatever anyone thought. This was a being from Sosaria; a being I thought long dead, for the Avatar destroyed it, ending the Third Age of Darkness. But, my eyes told me it was very much alive and well.  
  
"RETREAT!" I screamed, pure terror in my voice, my courage leaching away like water on sand. "FLEE!" Turning, I followed my own advice and raced back to the fort with all the speed I could muster. The Asgardian army was ahead of me, needing no further help in getting them to go. The monsters presence was enough for that, and if I were in retreat, then they had defenatly better be leaving as well. For that thing was a being so monstrous, so powerful, that the Avatar himself could not destroy it alone. He had three trusted friends, heroes all of them, and the help of the Time Lord. Even then he could not fully destroy it, just banish its pysch form Sosaria, leaving its body in the castle where he fought it, the castle that sank under the waves in the cataclysm that followed. This thing, this monster, was the child of Mondain and Minax, conceived of magic. Its name.. was Exodus.  
  
* * *  
  
"Warped, I brought you some food," K'vin says as he enters the room I stay in. I am sitting in a chair, staring at nothing, as I have been since we retreated to the fort, three days ago. He sets the tray on the table. Lord Odin enters behind him.  
  
"Warped, what is wrong with you?" K'vin Asks. " You told me no daemon cold match you in a fight. Yet, you seem to be in terror of the one outside"  
  
"That is no daemon outside. It is a being from Sosaria. I thought it destroyed long ago, yet it seems it was only banished." I trail off into silence. After a moment, I begin speaking. "It is called Exodus, and the Avatar himself could not fight it alone. What chance do I have?"  
  
"You are not alone, Warped" Lord Odin says, "You have an army to help you. Surely this Avatar never had that"  
  
"You also have the Dragons of my weyr at your back." K'vin adds.  
  
I started shaking with quiet laughter. "You.. don't understand" I gasp through the laughs that roll out of me. "Exodus. didn't have to.. bring. an army. He could take.. this land. single-handedly.and none of us. can stop him." I say, still gasping the words out through the laughter  
  
"Then I fear the end of our world is at hand. Our doom is nigh upon us," Lord Odin says sadly.  
  
Something clicked in my mind. I stopped laughing. "End of the world. Doom. Doomsday. That's it!" I cry, leaping up form my chair. "That they way to beat Exodus!" I say, almost dancing with joy.  
  
"Warped, what are you talking about?" K'vin asks. Lord Odin looks puzzled, as if wondering whether my mind has finally snapped.  
  
"Go get T'dam and I shall tell you!" I say, rushing out of my room, heading for the war chamber. Lord Odin follows  
  
When everyone has arrived in the war chamber, a massive stone room with tapestries hanging form the walls, and an old oak table with many chairs in the middle, I tell them what I will do  
  
"T'dam, what do your ancient writings say of Sosarian Magic?" I ask him  
  
"Not much, I'm afraid." He answers. "Only that it was different from our magic and very powerful"  
  
"And what do they say about the Spell of Armageddon?" I ask with a slight grin  
  
T'dam's eyes go wide at the name. "No, you must not Warped! Not that spell! Better to Embrace the Sun then cast that spell!"  
  
"What Spell is this?" asks Lord Odin, looking confused. T'dam answers him without taking his eyes from me.  
  
"It is the Doomsday Spell. It will unify all the tidal forces of Life itself; Good and Evil, Order and Chaos, Sight and Sound, Fire and Water, Earth and Air, and unleash them all in a singular event to which no world has ever been subjected. All life will perish in the apocalypse that will be triggered. Stupidity has no greater champion then he who would cast this spell."  
  
Nay, not all life" I tell T'dam. "I have worked out a way to modify it to only kill life that is sentient. Life that thinks, and speaks."  
  
"That is hardly an improvement. We all think and speak," growled Lord Odin  
  
"Not so fast. There is more I have to tell you," I say calmingly. "There is another spell, created by the Seer Hawkwind, who guided the Hero on his quest to become the Avatar. It, and it alone, can protect against the Spell of Armageddon. For when the Barrier of Life spell is cast by one strong in Virtue, with the Sigils of Virtue as the focus, it will form the Eight Virtues into a physical barrier that nothing can penetrate."  
  
"And do you know the Barrier of Life Spell?" T'dam asks angrily. "Are you strong enough in the Virtues to cast it? And what of the Sigils? They are in Sosaria, where they will do little good."  
  
"Leave that to me" I tell him.  
  
"What of everyone who is not behind this 'Barrier'? They will die!" Lord Odin argues.  
  
"Do you really think that there is any sentient being alive outside this fort that is a follower of good?" I ask him. He stared at me defiantly for a minute or two, then lowered his head.  
  
"No" he mutters. "Cast your spell. We have saved what can be saved"  
  
"I will need some Blackrock for the Barrier of Life spell. Does anyone know where I can find some?"  
  
"What is this Blackrock?" T'dam and Lord Odin ask.  
  
"It is a type of rock, Black in color, and it cannot be moulded or changed by physical means. Magic is necessary to shape it"  
  
"There is rock like you describe. It can be found in the northern mountains, but, alas! We have no way of getting any."  
  
"T'dam, can you send some dragons for some?" I ask him  
  
" I could, but it would be suicide. That thing you call Exodus could easily kill them before they come anywhere near the mines" He answers  
  
"Not if he's busy dueling me. K'vin, would you be willing to take some of your friends and get me some Blackrock?"  
  
"I will" He replies.  
  
Long I prepared for that fight with Exodus. Spell after Spell I cast upon myself, spells of protection, of warding, of might, strength, speed, dozens of other things. Lord Odin's few human mages came and cast their spells on me. K'vin gathered his friends, all fast and agile dragons. He took them to the back of the fort and waited for my signal. I went to the top of the wall in human form.  
  
"Exodus!" I roared, my voice amplified with magic. "Exodus! I know what you are! I know where you come from! I challenge you to single combat!" My heart was quaking in my chest. I was terrified.  
  
Exodus stepped forward, away from his army. He raised one hand and beckoned, daring me to come. "Come" he said in a voice that sounded like dry leather crumbling. "Come, puny mortal. It is Time to Die"  
  
"For Sosaria and Virtue!" I yelled as I leaped form the wall, shifting to Dragon form as I fell. I hit the ground running. Straight at Exodus. "Sosaria and Virtue!" I roared again. That was K'vin's signal. He and his friends slipped out of the fort, flying low to the ground to avoid notice. It worked. Everyone was watching the Idiot Dragon who had challenged Exodus.  
  
Long we fought. I leapt upon him head on, clawing and biting. He brushed me off like a bug. I flung Fireballs at his face, Lightning at his head, and he deflected them and came at me. I charged him once again, grappling with him. This time he did not brush me off. He threw me. Head over Tail I flew, landing in front of him. I rolled over and climbed to my feet. Taking a breath, I let loose the fire that burned hot within me, the fire that was every dragons birthright. A long stream of it flew from my open maw to envelope him. This time he did not try to deflect it. When the fire died away, their stood Exodus, unhurt but for a few singed hairs upon his horned skull. Sucking in another breath, I breathed my deadly electricity upon him. Long bolts of it struck him, doing no harm that I could tell. I quickly tried my other breath attacks. The poison, acidic green gas he breathed without effect. The Oily Black Smoke he waved away, unfazed. The Freezing Cold of my Frost breath did not even cause him to blink. Staring unbelieving, I used one of my most potent magical attacks, The Flame Strike. Pillars of Fire burst from the ground to surround him, hiding him from view. From the inferno could be heard a roar of pain. As the last of the spell died away, Exodus rushed out at me. He cast one of his own spells, and I was hurled back by some unseen force. He struck me, tearing long gouges in my hide, cutting through my scales like they were cloth. I screamed in pain and struck back, making a long scratch in his arm. He just grinned madly and stepped towards me. I knew then my death was nigh. Suddenly, before he could finish me, a ball of. something. struck him in the side, knocking him slightly off balance. We both turned to see what had thrown it. A man was stumbling from out of the forest nearby, another ball of whatever it was already leaving his hands, growing bigger as it got closer. It struck Exodus in the chest, knocking him back a few steps. I stared at the man. His once fine robe was torn and shredded. He was bruised and bloody, his hair in wild disarray. As he was throwing another ball of. light, I thought, I suddenly recognized him. It was RuneStar! One of the Gamemasters! I stumbled to my feet as Exodus started off towards RuneStar.  
  
"I thought I took care of your kind before. I shall finish the job this time" He rasped in his crumbling leather voice.  
  
RuneStar didn't answer, just hurled another light ball. Exodus's army, which had stood silent watching us fight, started moving to attack the GM. Without taking his eyes form Exodus RuneStar flung out a hand at the army and a wall of flame flared into existence between them. A grinning ogre stepped into the fire, not fearing it. He burst into flame and melted before he took two more steps. The rest of the army stayed back.  
  
"You cannot defeat me. I am the Master of the Game, and I shall destroy you or die trying" RuneStar replied  
  
"Then prepare to die' Exodus roared in reply as he raised his arms to cast a spell. RuneStar's arm rose and a bar of Liquid Light shot forth from it, striking Exodus in the chest and hurling him back. I heard some shouting on the castle walls. K'vin had returned  
  
"Go Warped. This is my fight" RuneStar told me as he continued to strike exodus with the liquid light.  
  
"No, RuneStar. You cannot defeat him! The only one who can do that is on my world!"  
  
"I am the last of the GMs, and for good or ill this is my fight. GO!" He shouted at me as Exodus finally beat off the bar of liquid light and counterattacked. "GO!" He howled again as he flung a hand in my direction. I felt as though someone had struck me hard in the head. The world churned around me, and I felt a wrenching movement, until finally it swam back into focus. I was in the fortress. I had survived over a battle with Exodus. I collapsed before anyone could reach me  
  
  
  
I awoke to K'vin slapping my face. Still groggy, I shifted to human to take up less room  
  
"Warped, wake up" K'vin was saying in fear  
  
"Wha.. Eh?" I mumbled  
  
"RuneStar is here in the fort, lying near death. Exodus is attacking! His army is even now trying to climb the walls," K'vin told me "And Exodus himself is looking rather angry"  
  
I jumped to my feet, fully awake "Quickly, get Lord Odin!" I told him. I was not long waiting; Lord Odin was at the walls directing his troops. I went to meet him at the foot of the wall  
  
"Quickly, send your men. I need them to find some objects for me." I told him hurriedly. "Hurry, we have not much time"  
  
"My men are busy defending the castle, and have no time for a scavenger hunt," he said irritably.  
  
"Without these objects, I cannot cast invoke the Barrier of Life" I told him angrily He decided it wasn't a scavenger hunt after all, and sent men to look for the items I required. Soon they returned with the objects. A chalice. A balance scale, a sword, shepherds crook, a stone, an empty scroll, a small bag of gold, and bar of silver. Using my Magic, I carve the stone into the shape of a heart, and melt the silver bar into an ankh.  
  
"Warped, what do you need these items for?" K'vin asked me  
  
"These shall be the Sigils of the Virtues," I told him. "But first, I must attempt to imbue them"  
  
Taking each object in my hands, I chant the mantra for the Virtue that object is to represent.  
  
"Summ. Beh. Ra. Lum. Mu. Ahm. Cah. Om."I chant as I pick up the objects, one for each mantra. As I set each Sigil down again, it glows a bluish white color before fading to normal.  
  
"There. These are now Sigils of Virtue. Now, I shall now try to summon the Barrier of Life" Arranging the sigils in a circle around me, I remember the Blackrock.  
  
"K'vin, where is the Blackrock I sent you to get?" I ask him. He hands me five fist-sized lumps of Blackrock  
  
"Is this enough?" he asked  
  
"Indeed it is. I thank you for getting it. Now please stand back, out of the circle of Sigils," I ask him. He complies. I arrange the Blackrock in a smaller circle inside the sigils. Raising my arms, I put forth my will, hoping that the spell will work. It does. The Sigils begin to glow again, with the same color. But the glow increases, until they are shining like the sun. The glow jumps to the Blackrock, and then to me. Suddenly out from me flies a wave of light, in all directions. When it fades, the fortress is encircled in a field of bluish white light. On the other side Exodus's army can be seen trying to pierce it, to no avail. Exodus himself cannot penetrate it. He stands with his head lowered, thinking.  
  
Running to the opposite side of the castle from Exodus and his army, I step through the Barrier of Life. As the caster I can move freely through it. Raising my arms, I begin to cast the Spell of Armageddon  
  
"In Vas." I begin. The ground starts shaking. The wind picks up speed. Those inside the castle can see Exodus's head jerk up and his eyes go wide. He knows what spell is being cast  
  
"Corp Bet." The ground rumbles ominously. The wind is blowing at hurricane speeds. Exodus is running around the outside of the barrier, rushing to stop me before I finish the spell. His army is going around the other side. I am trapped  
  
"Mani." Exodus is roaring now, running even faster, trying to reach me with his magic, trying to destroy me, to hurl me into oblivion.  
  
"Wis." All are deafened by the sounds being heard. To call them sounds is to call a mountain a pebble. The very earth was screaming in agony. The sky was howling in pain. Everyone falls to their knees, unable to stand in the powerful earthquake. Exodus takes to the air, outracing the wind in his hast to reach me.  
  
"Xen!" I scream the last word of the spell, and the world suddenly goes silent. Time seems to stop. Exodus stops, only a few feet form me. When nothing happens, he chuckles, an evil chuckle, and reaches for me. Suddenly, the primordial magic of life itself erupts form my body, racing in every direction. It parts around the Barrier of Life, but hits all else. Exodus is hurled back by it, like a wood chip caught in a thunderstorm. Every thinking, sentient creature the magic touches in destroyed, incinerated, hurled into oblivion, and unmade. The Magic soon spends itself, and coming back to me it dies. Time resumes. The birds in the trees can be heard, singing. I barely cling to conciseness, swaying as I stand. The Barrier of Life dissipates. I finally surrender to gravity and fall to the ground. My last thought before I fall into sleep is that all sentient creatures not inside the Barrier were destroyed. All but Exodus.  
  
I awake a few minutes later. All is quiet. I groaned as I sat up. I hurt all over. Looking around me, I suddenly remember what had just happened. I look at the fortress. There are people on the walls, looking past me.  
  
"Ah thank the virtues the Barrier of Life held." I mutter as I turn to see what they are staring at. My heart skips a beat or twenty at what I see. Exodus, lying unconscious on the ground, bruised, bloodied, but not dead. Suddenly, in a flash of light, an old man in a hooded white robe appears next to me. I jump back in surprise.  
  
"Who are you?" I ask in complete surprise.  
  
"You know who I am. Look closely." He tells me as he lowers his hood. I look  
  
"The. Time Lord?" I ask  
  
"None other" He replies. "I knew that Exodus had made it to another world, but I did not know which one. I felt the spell you cast, and immediately came. It is well I did. I shall deal with Exodus."  
  
"Can you send me back to Sosaria?" I ask him. He looks at me keenly for a moment before replying.  
  
"No. I could send you back, but I will not. Fate lies heavily upon you. You have some great task to accomplish before you can return to your world". Having said that, he looks at the unconscious Exodus, and both vanish in a flash of light. Lord Odin, T'dam, and K'vin are making there way over to me. I wait for them, too weak to walk far.  
  
"Warped, you've saved our world" Lord Odin says as he stops in front of me. "On behalf of all Asgardians, I thank you"  
  
"All that is left is the task of rebuilding" T'dam says.  
  
"Then I shall leave you to it." I reply. "K'vin, would you be so kind as to raise a gate back to Rivendell? It shall be a long while before I can cast spells," I say as I hand him the rune. He nods, then casts the spell. The now familiar Red Moongate rises.  
  
"Farewell" I say as I stumble through it. K'vin follows, after saying goodbye to T'dam. The Gate closes. Many songs would be sung in Asgard, of Warped and K'vin, the two heroes who defeated the Great Daemon. 


End file.
